This invention relates generally to motors, and more particularly, to mounting assemblies for electric motors with flat-faced ball bearing endshields.
Electric motors include ball bearings supporting a motor output shaft. These motors also typically include an endshield fabricated from die-cast aluminum and forming a bearing pocket to protect the bearings and to prevent contamination of bearing lubricants. Ring base mounts are sometimes used with motors to mount the motor to a base for a certain application.
Conventional ring base mounts incorporate a solid steel inner ring and/or a split steel or plastic outer ring, and are press fit onto an outer surface of a bearing housing over the endshield. However, some motors include deep drawn endshields to form the bearing pocket. The deep drawn endshields are susceptible to deformation when conventional press-fit resilient base mounts are used. In addition, known ring mounts are relatively rigid, which tends to transmit motor vibration to the base and generate undesirable noise during operation of the motor.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a resilient ring base for use on motors with deep drawn endshields. Further, it would be desirable if the resilient ring base did not deform the bearing pockets and did not transmit motor vibration to the base.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a resilient ring mounting assembly for mounting a motor including a ball bearing endshield having an outer surface includes a resilient outer ring surrounding a split inner ring. The resilient outer ring includes a central opening slightly smaller than an outer diameter of the inner ring such that the inner ring is placed in compression. As the inner ring is inserted over the endshield outer surface, the inner ring flexes around the housing, and the resilient outer ring ensures that the inner ring grips the housing to securely engage the mounting assembly to the motor without deforming or damaging the bearing pocket. The resilient outer ring applies an inward radial force to the inner ring for engaging the endshield outer surface and holding the mounting assembly in place.
More specifically, the resilient outer ring comprises an adapter portion adapted for insertion into and engagement with a motor housing channel surronding a motor bearing pocket adjacent the endshield. The resilient ring adapter portion engages the motor housing channel to facilitate isolation and damping of motor vibration. A cylindrical mounting portion extends from the adapter portion for mounting to a base according to known techniques. The relatively rigid split inner ring structurally supports the motor weight and components attached thereto, such as a fan blade or other driven component, and transfers structural loads from the motor housing through the resilient ring to a mounting base where the motor is installed.